Three-color mechanical pencil



8- 23, 1949- R. N. THATCHER. 2,479,649

THREE-COLOR MECHANICAL PENCIL Filed July 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi i; g2

VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,479,649 THREE-COLOR MECHANTCAL PENCIL Russell N. Thatcher, New York, N. Y. Application July 13, 1946, Serial No. 683,513

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a writing pencil and one of its objects is to prOVide a writing pencil with a carrier having a plurality of differently colored leads and means for selecting any one of the colored leads and advancing the same to extended forward writing position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pencil with a magazine or carrier which may be turned in the holding tube of the finished pencil to move any one of its writing leads to feed position, and. means operating in the holding tube to propel or retract any pencil lead disposed in feeding position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pencil of this general construction having a minimum number of parts and designed to work with dependable freedom from mechanical troubles, and to permit of accurate and easy selection and feeding of any wanted pencil lead. 50 that any color of the prearranged group of colored leads may be moved to feeding position, and any lead in feeding position not desired for immediate use may be moved to reserve position in the holding' magazine or carrier.

With the above and other objects in view the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, enlarged.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 2a is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken at right angles to the plane of Figure 2. I

Fig. 3' is a detail side View of the propelling and retracting sleeve nut used for feeding and returm ing the leads.

- Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

5 is a view of the writing nib or lead guide.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the lead magazine or carrier, taken on line 6 6 of Fig. '7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a broken side view of the magazine or carrier.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank used in the forming of the lead holder.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the lead holder.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof,- taken on line Ill-10, looking in the direetion of the arrows.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the blank used for forming the sleeve nut or feeding element.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of the invention, 5 desigriates an outer holding tube, which is externally finished and provided with a holding clip 6 of any suitable construction. In the forward end of this tube, which is slightly tapered at 5a, a nib or leadguide I is snugly fitted, by means of the reducedinner coupling stem la, which may be externally knurled at 'l' for this purpose. This nib or guide I is formed with a conical opening 8 which is located in the coupling stein 1a, and with a lead bore or passage 9, which communicates with the conical opening 8. The opening 8 and the passage 9 are disposed in concentric relation to the nib or guide 1.

The holding tube 5 is formed with an internal screw thread !0, which extends from a point slightly above the inner end of the nib l to the upper end of the tube 5. This tube is formed with an external circumferential groove H, and a metal sleeve or tube I2 is mounted over the upper end of the tube 5 and a coupling bead i3 is spun thereon to interlock with the groove H.

A ring 54 is also fitted in the metal tube or sleeve [2, which is provided with an internal bead l5, which engages the circumferential groove i5 of the ring M. An eraser I1 is fitted in the outer or upper end of the coupling sleeve or tube I2, and projects outwardly or above the same.

Within the main outer tube 5 a lead carrier or magazine 181s arranged, which is of general cylindrical construction, and which is formed with a plurality of longitudinal cylindrical slots or grooves l 20 and 2 I, which are spaced apart degrees from each other. Each slot or groove has a narrow keyway 22, which extends through the outer surface of the outer tube 5, and which is a part of the slot or groove. These slots or grooves extend from one end of the magazine or carrier cylinder to the other end, and open through both ends thereof.

The forward or inner end of the magazine or carrier cylinder is disposed adjacent to the inner end of the nib or guide 'I. The upper end of the carrier or magazine cylinder is coupled in the internal ring M, and the upper ends of the lead slots or grooves are closed by the eraser IT.

A feeding sleeve or sleeve nut 23 is disposed around the magazine or carrier cylinder l8, and is provided with a helical screw thread 24 which engages the screw thread I0 of the main holding tube 5.

The feeding or sleeve nut 23 is formed from sheet metal, being constructed from the blank shown in Fig. 11, which is rolled into a cylindrical tubular shape. The blank 25 is formed with a key forming tab or lug 25a, and a cut-out or notched portion 251) on the opposite edge of the blank, on the same level, and with a diagonal edge 250 on one side and a matching diagonal edge 2501 on the opposite side, on the same level. The screw thread 24 may be attached or formed on the blank by a die embossing operation.

When the blank is formed the terminal key tab 25a is projected inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, while the screw thread 24 is disposed outwardly. The upper end of each writing lead is equipped with a holder 27, which is formed from sheet metal, rolled into a cylindrical tube, from the blank 28, shown in Fig. 8. This blank is formed with tab forming lugs 28a and 28b, on opposite sides of the blank and at the same level to each other, and the blank is further provided with nitches 28c and 28d on opposite sides thereof,

and on the same level.

The lugs 28a and 2817 are disposed outwardly, as shown in section in Fig. 10, to provide parallel external keys, which are adapted to enter the slot 22 of each lead holding groove. The tube 2? is split longitudinally to provide a yielding wall which has a clutching engagement with the endof the lead received by the tube. The lead holding tube 2! has a smooth sliding lit in the groove it is engaged with.

The internal key lug 25a of the feeding sleeve nut 23 is adapted to enter the opening Zla of the holding tube 2?, which is located immediately below the key lugs 28a. and 28b of said holding tube.

The main tube or barrel 5 is provided with a marker 30, which is in the form of an indicating arrow, or otherwise, and which points upwardly, and the metal sleeve or tube I2 is provided with a color indicating dot or mark 3|, which is aligned with one of the lead holding grooves. Three different color dots are provided, one for each lead holding'groove, to represent and identify the three diflerent colors in these rooves.

' If one of the leads have a red color, another lead a blue color and the third lead a green color, then the three marking dots will have corresponding colors; and the assortment of leads supplied with the pencil will correspond to the selection of colors indicated by the marking dots. These color indicating dots are spaced 120 degrees from each other to match the equal spacing of the lead holding grooves. sleeve or tube l2 the arrow or marker 30 will be moved into registration with the colored lead which is to be selected.

By turning sleeve or tube I2 in one direction in relation to holding tube 5, the feeding sleeve nut 23 will be caused to rise to the upper end of outer holding tube 5 Where it will stop and lock firmly with outer holding tube 5. After locking of feeding sleeve nut 23 with the upper end of outer holding tube 5 continued turning of sleeve or tube E2 in the same direction will then eifectremoval of lug 25 from opening Zla of the particular colored lead holding tube 21 in which it is engaged. Further turning of sleeve or tube 62 in the way will cause the insertion of lug 25 into the opening 210. of a second and different colored lead'holding tube 27. to use this particular colored lead, additional rotation of tube l2 in the same direction will disengage lug 25 from the second colored lead holding tube and will cause lug 25 to engage opening 21a of the third colored lead holding tube 21 whose colored lead may then be propelled for By turning the If it is not desired.

4 writing use by rotation of sleeve [2 in the opposite direction.

When any colored lead is propelled forwardly to enter the nipple or guide "I, the conical intake opening- 8 thereof will act to move the forward end of the lead to a central position, and the clearance allowed between the lead thus moved and the guide or nipple, together with the natural flexibility of the lead being propelled, will be sufficient to permit the centering of the lead from the feeding groove to the lead guiding axial bore 9 of the lead guide 1, without causing the lead to break. The deflection thus required is however, extremely small, and depends upon the diameter of the solid axial portion of the lead holding cylinder.

' My invention provides a low cost pencil with a plurality of difierent colored leads and a simple and dependable means for selecting any lead, and moving an unwanted lead to inactive position within its holding groove. The selection may be intelligently and accurately made, when the red, green and blue leads'are placed in the grooves which have corresponding markers, and the se lecting arrow or marker is properly located with respect to the required colored pencil lead.

Having described the invention, I claim as new:

i. A writing pencil having a pencil lead guide in the forward end thereof, a cylinder having a series of longitudinal grooves for holding differently colored pencil leads, said grooves being equally spaced circumferentially from each other, each of said grooves opening through the external surface of the cylinder, a tube connected at its forward end with the pencil lead guide and havingan internal screw thread, and a feeding sleeve nut threaded in the tube and provided with a key engaging one of the grooves of the cylinder.

2. A writing pencil comprising an outer tube having an internal screw thread, a guide on the forward end of the tube having an axial passage and a conical intake for said axial passage, a cylinder disposed in the tube and provided with a plurality of equally spaced longitudinal grooves opening through the external surface of the cylinder, a sleeve nut encircling the cylinder and having a screw thread engaged with the screw thread of the outer tube and a key lug adapted to engage with any one of the longitudinal grooves, a tube mounted on the upper end of the outer tube and provided with a coupling engaging the upper end of the cylinder, and a lead holding tube for each longitudinal groove having a side opening engaged by the key lug of the sleeve nut and having a key lug engaged with one of the grooves.

v 3. A writing pencil comprising an outer tube having a guide located at the forward end thereof, a cylinder disposed in the outer tube and provided with equally spaced longitudinal grooves opening through the forward end of the cylinder and through the external surface of the cylinder, a lead holding tube slidable in each groove and provided with a key lug projecting through the external surface of the cylinder, each holding tube having an opening located near said key lug,

a tube coupled to the upper end of the outer tube' for relative rotative movement and having coupled engagement with the upper end of the cylinder, and a sleeve nut having screw threaded engagement with the internal surface of the outer tube and provided with a key lug adapted to engage the opening of the holding tube to affect an outward or inward movement of any holding tube.

4. A writing pencil, comprising an outer tube having an internal screw thread and a pencil lead guide located at the forward end of the tube and provided with an axial passage and a conical intake opening concentric with the axial passage, a cylinder having a series of longitudinal grooves opening through both ends and the side thereof, a sleeve nut mounted around the cylinder and provided with a screw threaded engagement with the screw thread of the outer tube, said sleeve nut being formed with an internal lug adapted to enter the upper end of any groove, and means mounted on the outer tube having frictional coupled engagement with the cylinder to turn the same within the outer tube to propel and retract the sleeve nut.

5. A writing pencil, comprising an outer tube having an internal screw thread and a pencil guide connected with the forward end of said outer tube, a tube mounted on the upper end of the outer tube for relative rotation, a ring disposed in said last tube, a cylinder connected at its upper end with the ring, a sleeve nut having threaded engagement with the screw thread of the outer tube and provided with a key, said cylinder having a plurality of equally spaced longitudinal grooves opening through both ends and a side thereof, the key of the sleeve nut being adapted to enter any one of the grooves, a pencil lead disposed in each of the grooves, and a split holding tube connected to the upper end of each lead and provided with an opening in its side which is adapted to receive the key of the sleeve nut.

6. A sleeve nut for a mechanical pencil, comprising a split tube formed of sheet metal shaped into cylindrical form and provided with a, struck in key lug and an external helical screw thread.

RUSSELL N. THATCHER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Haring Nov. 16, 1909 Number 

